The Harry Ransom Center, the humanities research library and museum at The University of Texas at Austin, has been awarded a $500,000 challenge grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) to establish an endowment that will sustain the institution’s exhibition program. The Ransom Center has four years to match NEH’s grant with $1.5 million in private contributions to create a dedicated $2 million exhibition endowment.

With its world-renowned and extensive collections of rare books, manuscripts, photography, film and art, the Ransom Center has been in a unique position to put together some incredibly interesting exhibitions from its archives, some strictly historical and some more adventurous, such as last summer’s Contemporary Photographic Practice and the Archive, a collaboration between the center and the Austin-based photography collective Lakes Were Rivers.

“This NEH award is validation of the strong work the Ransom Center does in interpreting its collections for wide and diverse audiences,” said Ransom Center Director Stephen Enniss. “It will enable us to build on that past success and sustain this vital program for years to come.”